Chrysocolla (13 page)

“Your father’s main palace is in Giza, not too far away from the capital,” Seth explained as he pointed to the city. “He has another palace in Memphis, but he wanted to go to the main palace. It’s larger and more impressive to host the wedding.”

“You’re not stopping at your home first?” I had seen the general look longingly at Memphis as we passed it.

“No. My mother and sisters will travel to Giza to join us for the wedding in a few days,” Seth replied. “Your father has offered us rooms in his palace to stay for the occasion. After the wedding, we will all head back to the capital and we can get settled into our house.”

Seth had siblings? I hadn’t even thought of that. I was concerned about traveling and staying ahead of Logan, I had just realized I didn’t know how many siblings Seth had.

“Sisters?” I asked. I wanted to know more.

Seth laughed at my shock. “I never mentioned them when I first met you as they were here, and I didn’t know we’d ever be coming back. Yes, I have sisters. Four of them.”

“Four sisters?” I asked in shock.

“I had a brother, too, but he died as a child. That’s why my father has put much into training me and keeping me by his side. He wants me to carry on the family traditions.”

The next city was already coming close enough to see the outskirts buildings. Where the last city had buildings of all shapes and sizes and spread as far as people wanted, this one was more compact and built up instead of out. Not many buildings were less than two stories tall, even the ones on the outside of the village walls. Before we could approach the main part of the city, the boats took a turn into one of the side rivers. I wanted to see more of the city. My nerves grew as we were approaching what should have been my home all along and the suddenness of stopping made them worse.

We docked at a pier and my nerves set in full time. I saw what was waiting for us: Chariots. I had my fill of ancient-world chariots and wasn’t happy to see one waiting for me.

Seth felt my hesitation and looked at me as everyone began departing the ships.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, looking around. Seeing nothing, he turned back to me

“Nothing,” I replied as I took his outstretched hand. As much as I disliked this mode of transportation, I trusted Seth.

“You get to ride with me,” he said as he approached one of the chariots already hooked up to horses.

My father was already standing on a chariot and offering his hand to my mother. She didn’t hesitate and stood right up next to him. They were the perfect pair. Her deep red hair sparkled in the sunlight as much as the gold around my father’s neck and head sparkled with her.

Seth stood in his chariot and waited for me. I looked up at him. It still didn’t look safe, but there was nowhere safer than in Seth’s arms. I stepped onto one of the planks and up to Seth. He placed his arm around my waist and grabbed the reigns with both his hands.

“Now you’re sure you know how to drive one of these things? I thought you had Dee for that,” I teased, trying to ease my own worry.

“Oh, I know how to drive one of these. They’re much simpler than those metal boxes you drive,” Seth replied, following my father with a gentle trot. “And just for the record, Dee drives because I’m a better shot with the arrow than him. I normally beat him nine times out of ten when we race solo, so I’m also a better driver.”

Of course he was. That was Seth. He never did anything less than perfectly. As much as I wanted to tease him about that, we bound down the road into the city, distracting me. I was glad he could also control the cart we were in perfectly.

As we got farther into the city, the streets began to fill with people on both sides. My father slowed his chariot in front of us and began to roll at a very leisurely pace through the town. People of all ages lined the street to cheer for my father. He waved and beamed at my mother as people cheered for the both of them. It was fun to see that moment. My father had been waiting years to bring my mother home with him. Crowds were gathered, and some of the women even threw flowers into the air. The bright sunny day, the scent of fresh flowers, the smile on the face of not only my father but my mother also: it was perfect.

With the slower pace, I found that the chariot wasn’t as scary as it was the other time I rode on one. I was sure that Seth was just as capable as Logan to drive it, but the best part was that Seth didn’t feel the need to show off and make my heart leap into my throat. He was fine with the slow pace and kept his arm next to me.

I leaned back into his arms and against his chest. I was safe and happy. The people around us waved and cheered at the sight of not just my father, but Seth’s father and Seth himself. I looked from face to face. Young, old, man, woman, child—they all were smiling at us as we passed. They were happy to see their pharaoh. They were happy to see their general. For one small moment I could forget that Logan was trying to ruin my life. I could forget that I had time travel powers. I could forget that I was from the future. For one small moment I could just be the daughter of a king and the girl promised to Seth.

The palace came into view as we turned a corner and my breath caught in my throat. Large cream-colored columns rose into the sky. Ornate carvings lined the columns and were painted bright colors at the tops. There was an opening we were heading for once we made it through the people that had gathered. The crowd parted as we continued forward into a large, open courtyard in front of the palace. The sound of the crowd grew as we had turned the corner, and the hundreds of people packed into the space in front of the palace. They were all waiting for their king to return.

“Welcome home princess,” Seth said into my ear and he raised a hand to wave at the people.

Home. This was home. It was strange to reconcile that with my home back in Chicago that was covered in snow when I left. This brightly painted dessert was my home, my real home, where I was supposed to be.

“Princess, princess,” the people around me called to me, reaching up and trying to touch my arms.

Seth grinned next to me.

“I guess the word got out already.”

He chuckled and didn’t seem to mind the people standing close as he maneuvered slowly through the crowd to the palace.

As we reached the columns into the palace, my father turned back to me. He smiled as he stopped his chariot and hopped down from it. Seth pulled beside his and gave me his hand while my father came over and picked me up to help me off. He treated me like I weighed nothing. It felt so familiar. A past I could not remember barely flashed before my eyes. I hadn’t time traveled to remember any of my previous pasts, but I felt it. This moment was one identical to my childhood. I felt a sudden pang of sadness knowing that I should have had a life with this man. He was a stranger to me still, yet so familiar. I could feel his love through the looks he gave me, but it wasn’t the same. Logan took that from me.

“I think the crowd would like to meet you,” my father said, leaning down to tell me in my ear, and his elaborate golden crown touched my head.

“Meet me?” I croaked out. It was a bit overwhelming to say the least.

My father grinned. He held up one hand and the crowd grew silent in less than five seconds.

“Thank you for the welcome home,” he said to the crowd in a large booming voice. “I’m happy to have returned with two very important people to me.”

Eyes of everyone were glued to my father. He didn’t give them the same smile as he had just given me, but he adored the people almost as much as my mother and me. These were his people, and I could feel the love he had for them as much.

“The gods have blessed me and my prayers to return this woman to me.” My father pointed to my mother. “She stole my heart the first time I met her, and I have never been able to love another as much as I loved her. While I would have liked to celebrate with everyone, yesterday we made our life together official. She is now my wife and the queen. Please welcome her to our country.” Cheers rose up around us. “I have been dually blessed by the gods. They not only answered my prayers to bring back my Kiya, but they brought me this young woman here. The gods took Kiya from me before I ever met the child that was growing within her. This is my daughter, Princess Mari.”

More cheers rose up. I heard my name spoken by many of the people. Others chanted for my father and mother. It all mixed together just like we had been brought together as a family, finally. It was a celebration that started the moment we returned. I had never imagined in my life that it would be such. We made it home.

My father held up his hand again and the crowd went silent.

“And the last bit of news everyone will be happy to hear is that General Paramessu has offered his son to be a husband to my daughter. We will be celebrating their union in four days with the blessing of the gods. We have much to celebrate. My own wedding, the return of my child, my daughter’s wedding and, most importantly, we will be celebrating the union of Horus and Seth. While they have had a rough time getting along, by marrying these two children, General Paramessu and I will be uniting the god of the sky and the god of war. It’s a happy time for all of us, and will lead to great prosperity. We thank the gods for their blessings and hope to see everyone back here in four days to celebrate.”

My father looked up to the sky and nodded to something before closing his eyes. He held up both his hands, and most of the crowd followed. I turned to find Seth and his father with a fist on their heart. General Paramessu’s eyes were closed, but Seth was looking at me. He grinned and nodded. I could feel the excitement across our bond. He was more than happy to have the future Kye had promised us. Now all we needed to do was make it to our wedding day. I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be as easy as we hoped. Kye was still here and watching it all. His face didn’t give anything away. Were we closer or just as far away from the future we wanted?

Our travels back
and celebrations were cut short the moment we entered the palace. A group of men were waiting inside the courtyard and one quickly approached my father. I didn’t know who they were, but it was obvious that Seth did. His smile faded.

“Glorious King.” The man bowed deeply to my father. “We have a slight problem with the preparations.”

My father looked at the man behind the bowing man. The look hardened my father’s face, and he turned to go down a different hallway than we were walking. I followed close behind, unsure what was going on.

“Seme, this better be worth interrupting our welcome home,” my father told the man who had been bowing to him.

Interrupting our welcome home? I really had no clue what was going on, but it seemed it wasn’t putting my father in the best of moods.

“Rai?” General Paramessu asked when Seme looked faint at the reaction he received from my father.

“There seems to be a problem with the engagement,” the second man who my father had looked to replied. “Seti was previously engaged, and their family isn’t accepting that it is broken.”

“What is there not to accept?” the general asked dubiously. “We no longer wish to marry Seti to their daughter. It was a decision that both Seti and I came to together. And they technically broke the arrangement two years ago when she ran away.”

“That’s the slight problem,” Seme added, finally getting his voice. My father nodded to him to explain more. “Seti’s former betrothed’s family is demanding that he follow through with his engagement.”

“They can’t demand that of him,” my father boomed.

He wasn’t taking the news well. I wasn’t happy to hear that Seti was promised to another, but I kind of expected it. He was a good catch both in ancient Egypt and the future I grew up in.

My father’s servant hurried away from us and motioned for the group that had been waiting to join us in the courtyard we were all standing in now.

“They can if the engagement was consummated and led to pregnancy,” Seme replied to my father. Behind him, a girl stepped out and bowed to my father.

I sucked in my breath at the sight of the girl. Her pregnant belly was a bit of a shock, but it was even more shocking to look at the brunette and the smirk she was trying to hide. Next to me, Seth drew in a breath of shock.

“Oh, glorious King. I’m sorry to have ruined the engagement for your daughter,” Melissa said with fake sorrow. I just about wanted to gag, but her protruding belly kept me from looking away.

Seth tugged on my hand and stepped behind everyone.

“I didn’t know it was her. I have never met the girl I was promised to,” Seth quickly told me as his father joined us behind everyone. They formed a private barrier as he urgently continued. “Father,” Seth said from beside me. “That’s not my child.”

“Did you sleep with her?” his father asked.

“Yes, but I’m certain that’s not my child,” Seth continued to deny it. My mouth would have dropped open if I hadn’t suspected that already.

“If you consummated the arrangement, then that could very well be your child,” the general replied. He wasn’t mad at Seth, but was more disappointed than anything.

“Father. I promise you that’s not my child,” Seth added again. “I’m certain that I never got her pregnant. There are ways in the future to keep that from happening.”

The general looked at Seth and they shared a look that could only pass between father and son. The general nodded to Seth and went back to my father’s side. Seth tugged on my hand and leaned down to me.

“I never touched her again after I met you that first day you moved into the dorms. I’ve never even let her back into my door room even after Logan set her on keeping us apart. Others don’t exist. You’re the only one for me.”

Okay. That cheered my heart up a little bit.

“You are declaring that your unborn child is that of Seti, son of Paramessu?” my father asked Melissa.

“Yes, my lord,” Melissa bowed her head with her answer.

My father looked at Seth and me, and our joined hands. How were we supposed to get out of this one? It wasn’t like they did DNA testing in ancient Egypt. Heck, it was thousands of years before the first scientist even recorded findings on genetics. I hated to think that everything now was ruined by her.